ARBEITSAM Ready to Take His Place in $1m EPSOM Handicap

28 Sep 18

Dynamic Syndications 5yo gelding ARBEITSAM (by Snitzel) is set to line up in the $1m EPSOM Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.

ARBEITSAM has been given an unorthodox preparation to have him ready for his big assignment.

Having run 3rd in the Gr1 DONCASTER Handicap in the Autumn behind Happy Clapper and Comin’ Through, the Gr1 EPSOM Handicap this Spring has been his main focus and we are taking the horse into the race primed to run up to his best.

ARBEITSAM now he is an older horse does take a few runs to get up to peak fitness.

He resumed in the Gr2 Tramway Handicap over 1400m where he put in a sensational effort to run 4th leading all the way to the shadows of the post. In the concluding stages he ran out of gas but fought hard to finish on the heels of Comin’ Through, Tom Melbourne and Dixie Blossoms having to give the runner-up and third placed horses weight.

He then went to Newcastle for the Gr3 Cameron Handicap. Poorly weighted in that event and known for having an ordinary 2nd up record, Arbeitsam was sent to the front and set a very fast tempo. The horse ran out of gas and finished 6th some 3.1 lengths off the winner. Connections were delighted with the effort however there was a concern that Arbeitsam was still a little big in condition.

The plan had been to take him straight into the EPSOM. However Tim Clark and Gai Waterhouse had deep discussions about ARBEITSAM and after serious considerations, Gai went into her bag of magic tricks and decided she would do something different.

Gai recommended that instead of using trackwork to bring him up to peak fitness, they would instead give him another race start and back him up into the Gr2 Shannon Handicap over 1500m.

By doing this, it took pressure of trackwork gallops and the match hard race would top him off in fitness.

Again under the conditions of the race, ARBEITSAM was poorly weighted in the Shannon Handicap but that didn’t concern connections as eyes were on the big prize of the EPSOM.

In the Gr2 Shannon Handicap over 1500m, he finished 1.1 lengths from the winner Noire but gave that runner 3.0kgs. He also gace the runner-up Kingsguard 2.5kgs and third placed Youngstar 3.0kgs.

By running him the Shannon Handicap, Gai and Adrian were able to be kinder to ARBEITSAM in trackwork and have our horse bouncing out of his skin heading into the feature Gr1 mile of the Spring Carnival at Headquarters.

Importantly for ARBEITSAM, he is well weighted for the first time this preparation, dropping 4.0kgs off his last start to carry only 52.5kgs in this Gr1 event.

Jockey Tim Clark has been full of praise for ARBEITSAM and knows this is his target. Tim has had to make a serious commitment to waste hard over the past few weeks to make the 52.5kgs.

Barrier 15 is not a concern as the pace in the race is all drawn wide in the big field and at the 1600m start at Randwick, they have the length of the back straight to work across. A natural leader, ARBEITSAM will be pressing forward again.

Gai Waterhouse is a genius when it comes to peaking a horse to have it at its best when facing the starter in the Randwick Feature mile races.

Gai and Adrian saddle up two runners headed by ARBEITSAM and Siege of Quebec.

Whatever happens in the big field of 20 starters, connections know our plan had been instigated and we can’t have our horse on ratings and appearances any better than we do.

It’s up to ARBEITSAM and Tim Clark to show us what that is.

Already the winner of 7 races and 7 placings from 23 starts and with earnings of $1,069,550 our $120,000 Magic Millions purchase has given Owners have had the ride of a lifetime.

So far this preparation, he has earned $21,800 prizemoney as Gai and Adrian have polished him up to be at his peak for Saturday.

We trust his Dynamic Owners will receive fair fortune from the racing gods to allow Arbeitsam to showcase his abilities.

ARBEITSAM Owners: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr P M Roberts, Mrs M Roberts, Mr GJ Timmony, Mr H Sookias, Mrs S Halliwell, Mr M A Wolens, Mr S P Loane, Mr D C Batchelor, Mr J Yianni, Mr J N Allen, Mrs C A Read, C J R Racing, Mr R J Gall, Mr N W Honey, Mr L Seminara, Mrs R C Budd, Mr G Rassos, Mr L Woolhouse.